Above
by CrimsonXSoul
Summary: (AU, Different Child.) When a human child falls into the Underground, the fate of the Monster Kingdom is entirely in their grasp. Yet... with the guidance of REVIEWS controlling whether they KILL or SHOW MERCY, whether that fate is bright or hopeless is up to the reader. Will you make alliances with powerful friends? Or take them down one at a time?
1. Have a Nice Trip

"… _?"_

You wake up on a bed of gold-colored flowers. Your vision is strained and your limbs are twisted uncomfortably in ways you've never seen, but you do your best to recollect what has happened here. The last thing you remember… is playing hopscotch with friends near the top of Mt. Ebbot. You knew that it was against the rules that your parents had set. In fact, it was against the rules that your town had set and the ones your school had set, too. And yet, you had been the one to draw the hopscotch grid with chalk on the mountain's slate-covered peak.

You couldn't resist, though! You wanted to hike to the very top and look down at the twilit view of your hometown, and you had. It was cold, but the setting sun had cast your town in a shade of lovely golden-yellow that you'd felt like you'd remember forever. Pink clouds had dotted the sky, reminding you of summer cotton candy. It was only March- it'd be a while before summer vacation. You missed the beach.

Someone dared you to climb to the edge. While the adults warned you about steep cliffs and other immediate dangers, nobody said a word about a gigantic hole in the mountain. It was like a volcano! Except… instead of magma bubbling in a heated cavern, you couldn't see the bottom. It was like a void. You tossed a rock the size of your hand down there, and you couldn't see it land or even hear it hit the bottom. The thought of that perplexed you a bit. Maybe the adults did have proper reasoning of one sort or another to keep you from playing at such an altitude.

You recall a thorny vine catching your sneaker by the bow-tied lace. You were simply going to look down to see what else was there- if, perhaps, there was a fire, a light, water… anything at all to look at before you left. After all, what sorts of strange creatures could be dwelling in such a dark, wide cave? It could be bats, it could be lizards… it could be _anything,_ really.

And now, thanks to your clumsiness… you were about to discover just that- in the up-close-and-personal way. Now that you reflect on your actions, this was probably your fault. You were the one who egged your acquaintances to come up here and disturb the peace and break the rules.

Now, you get to your feet. You're all dusty with soil, so you wipe off your denim pants. Something hurts badly- the foot where you lost your sneaker is swelling up near the ankle, having been caught and strained by the vine. You're worried at first that it's broken, but you find that you're able to walk well so long as you don't put as much pressure on it as usual.

You look to the sky.

Well… what's left of it, at least. All that's in your line of sight aside from relentless shadow is a little circular pocket of gold light.

Your cheeks flush a little and your eyes fill up with tears. You know you did something bad, but… how were you supposed to get home? How would the matron react? What were your friends thinking, up on the surface? Besides, you couldn't miss school! You had a science test tomorrow! Afraid, apologetic, and most of all, alone, you head into the abyss in search of a way out. A way home.

You grip a cricket bat in your hands, now holding it close like a plush toy. You had originally brought it in case your friends would want to play a ball game up there as well, but now you're planning to use it in case a bear or something attacks you.

Do bears… live inside mountains? You're not really sure. Yet, for now, it gives you some determination to just pretend that this is just a game or something. In your head, you come up with figures for the bat.

CRICKET BAT- ATK 5. GOOD FOR WARDING OFF CRICKET BALLS AND DANGEROUS BEASTS.

Either way, you proceed very cautiously. You register that you're walking on grass- it's audibly swishing in some kind of breeze (despite the fact that you are veritably underground), and something like fallen leaves is crunching under every step you take.

There's a light up ahead. Anxious to see what might be in front of you, you step into it and look up once more. All you can see is simply another pocket of light, shining down to illuminate a patch of grassy floor.

"Howdy!"

Something greets you in a chipper voice. Your head jolts up and you find yourself staring at… a flower. A flower, complete with expressive little beady eyes and a sunny grin, is speaking to you. You're… not quite sure of the appropriate reaction to a situation like this, so you simply raise an eyebrow.

"Hey, there! I said 'howdy', didn't I?" repeated the flower, giving you a slightly condescending but still amicable grin. You reply with a nod.

"Well, how's about you greet back, huh?" it asked. "I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER. You're a human, aren'tcha?"

You nod again.

"Oh, I see! I see! You must have fallen from that crater up there, down here into the Underground. Are you hurt anywhere?" queried Flowey, expression still chipper. You're moderately disturbed, but slightly more relieved to see a friendly face.

You nod. _"My ankle is twisted… I can't really walk okay right now."_ you reply in a hushed tone of voice.

"Huh. Yeah, it might be a strain. Say, buddy- we magical talking flowers happen to have a special brand of… healing abilities. If I touch one of my magical healing leaves to your wound, I think it should be able to patch it up! Good as new! Just close your eyes for a minute or so."

Something about this seems kind of sketchy. Familiarly sketchy. But you can't place it. You nod cautiously.

Flowey suddenly retracts under the ground, before re-sprouting right beside your injured foot. You take a seat on the ground, raising your pant leg- gee, it's uncomfortable. You put the cricket bat aside.

You feel a stinging sensation when the leaf touches your wound. Your expression scrunches up in moderate pain and you shut your eyes tightly. If 'magic healing' always felt like stinging nettles and poison ivy, you weren't sure you wanted to be in a video game world at all!

Yet, suddenly, the pain cools. You're greeted by a sensation of numbness. Your expression loosens, and all you can feel is a slight tingle.

" _Can I please open my eyes?"_ you ask. It's less unpleasant now, but you're a little worried about the state of your ankle. You hear a sound like sloshing water and apples being mashed into applesauce.

You… feel lightheaded. You suddenly feel a lot like sleeping. All you need is just a nap to regain your bearings.

SHNK!

You cry out- suddenly, something sharp claws at your good foot and both wrists. Something that smells a little like fresh-cut roses.

"You _iiiidiot_." whispers a demonly rasp. You jolt open your eyes, only to see your limbs entangled by swirling, spiky vines. What was once the visage of a friendly-looking, almost cartoonish flower with a face has been replaced with hollowed-out eye sockets and a gaping, fanged maw.

"Ten more seconds. _Ten more_ and I'll have absorbed one human soul! I can _escape_ this place, finally. _Go to sleep_."

Your vision is getting foggier and foggier.

What… should you do?

 **(Thank you for reading the first chapter of Above! If you enjoyed it, please leave a review! All criticism is really appreciated!)**


	2. HOOpla

_Struggle!_

 _Cry out!_

 _Try and fight!_

Animalistic instincts pull at your mind as you writhe in discomfort, and you muster a few coherent words in an uproar:

" _Somebody, help! Please!"_ you shout, adding the magic word to the end in hopes that perhaps it will inspire a random act of kindness in whatever other creatures are lying in wait in the cavernous void. _Jeez,_ you think foggily to yourself, i _f I am to die here, I sure do sound like a bit of a crybaby. This isn't how I want to go out._

"Heh. Nice try. kid. It'll take more than asking nicely to **SPARE** your own life. Down here, it's either death or oblivion for us monsters." Flowey remarked smugly, before preparing a ring of spinning, bullet-like projectiles around your body, slowly closing in. You attempt to grab the cricket bat on the ground, but it's infuriatingly just a few centimeters out of reach. You tap it in your attempt to grab, and it only rolls further away from you. Flowey's face once more warps into a hellish grimace of a smile.

" _ **Die."**_

You brace for impact.

And yet… the impact never quite arrives. The sound of brisk, fluttering wings can be heard overhead.

You hear a hint of a high-pitched murmur- "Compromised… if one of those security drones finds out I was here, the whole schtick is up. Oh, _forget it_. I'm not fighting a hundred royal guards and that trident-wielding sicko on my foray out of this-…"

Your vision returns to you as you gain your bearings on the ground. Your spiky restraints have retreated back to the soil along with Flowey… yet, you feel unsafe. There's still a sort of vibration coming from underground.

" **HOO** is there?!" screeches a voice from above. You realize that something is casting a shadow from up above. The sound of enormous wings gently lowering their owner graces the air around you, and you step back quickly. You hold your bat in front of you like a guard's spear in a hasty attempt at protecting yourself.

The creature lands in front of you- a self-important being with a body somewhat similar in structure to a person's. Their body is covered in a pale down, and they have pairs of menacing, black talons for hands and feet. Gigantic wings are folded up against their back, and their amber eyes are looking right through you. Oddly enough, in addition to these monstrous looks, they wearing a blue cap marked 'DELIVERY' and a blue letter pouch is strapped to their waist and marked with an envelope insignia.

"You appear to be hurt." they remark, in a serious yet sympathetic fashion. "… I suppose I could share some flight rations, if you require healing. **HOO** did this to you? **HOO** mever it may be, I shall give them a good talon-raking!"

"…"

You back against a wall. You don't trust this… bird-person.

"Now, now. It's all right, I can tell you're not one for conversation." they say, more softly. Reaching into their pouch, they draw from it some sort of… protein bar. At least, that's what it says on the wrapper.

"Eat up, okay? This energy bar is made with protein powder. It'll heal a lot more than the store-brand schlock."

You tentatively snatch away the bar, taking a bite. Miraculously, as you tear away at the energy bar, it feels like the pain of your hurt leg and puncture wounds is slowly fading away. The filling tastes cherry-flavored. Not bad.

" **HOOHOO** … you look better already. Er… by the way, I'm **LYRE**. As you can tell, I'm a harpy… but what you may _not_ know is that I'm _also_ the mail-monster around this district! I mean, the Ruins don't get a whole lot of mail traffic, especially with the whole 'social media' thing coming into play, but it's still my job! I even have to deliver _ghost_ mail. That's a nightmare that most will never have to suffer." she says, with another hooting laugh. From your limited knowledge of land fauna (let along mythological animals), Lyre seems to be an… owl harpy of some kind. More of a bird than a person, but her hand-like claws and long, tawny crest indicating human-like 'hair' made you well-aware that she was nothing that happened naturally in your world.

"… _I'm…"_

You were about to divulge your name, but you decide that you're not comfortable enough.

"… _a human."_ you finish.

"H-h-h… **HOO** MAN?" cries Lyre, immediately backpedaling. "Please, have some mercy! I promise that I'm not going to hurt you!" she pleads, getting onto her knobby knees in a heartfelt prayer.

What should you do now?

 _FIGHT: Defend yourself._

 _ACT: Try telling her a bird-related pun to lighten the mood._

 _ITEM: Letter for Matron- indicate that you want to know how to go home._

 _SPARE: Reassure her that you do not wish to fight._


	3. Old Lady Who?

A number of thoughts fill your mind regarding your next choice of action, not all of them your own. You nearly see an array of options laid out neatly in front of you. Yes, this "Lyre" character is intimidating, but you're certainly not sure if fighting is the best option at the moment, pragmatically or otherwise.

Pragmatic, pragmatic… you search your mind with something that could bring the best option for the two of you.

" _Hey, hey, I never said I was going to try and fight you."_ you say, in a more calm and composed tone of voice. Your cricket bat makes a thump on the grassy floor as you drop it. As she sniffed back nervous tears, you suddenly felt like the bigger person in this situation despite her standing at least two feet taller than you.

"Wha—really?" Lyre responded in a confused tone, cocking her head as she looks from the fallen weapon back to you. "But you are… you're a h-hooman being! Doesn't the sight of me… just make you want to cut me up?" she asked, still trembling. You noticed that her feathers are ruffled, and she's trying to smooth them out with her claws.

"… _**Owl**_ _be honest, I wasn't expecting you to_ _ **chicken**_ _out so easily._ _ **Don't fly the coop just yet**_ _."_ you say, with a hesitant laugh. You wonder if a dumb joke would be enough to get Lyre to calm down just a bit.

She chuckled nervously in return, her wings folding against her back as she lets her guard down. "You're a trifle odd, you know? You remind me of somebody I'm a little acquainted with a few miles over in some cold area… the one hoo never checks his mailbox." she said, with a pinch of comical resent. "You're probably a bit younger, though."

" _Are you a monster?"_ you asked, somewhat more seriously. You were still too hesitant for small talk, but you hoped the term didn't offend her.

"Oh, of course! Right on the money!" she replied. "We're all monsters, down here. It doesn't matter what we look like, we're all the same sort, deep down. We look individually different, unlike you humans… from what I've studied, I'm honestly surprised you can tell one another apart with such ease." she commented. Her tone seemed just the least bit salty. Yet, it seemed that the more you spoke, the more she responded with.

"Why were you so sure I was here to hurt you?"

"Oh, oh, it's just our history. Thousands of years ago, we monsters were attacked by hoomanity during a great war! We were locked down here by hoomans underneath a magical barrier. Anything can get in here, but once they do… nothing is ever allowed out. The barrier is thicker than plated steel and stronger than any precious material…" she lamented. "At this rate, we'll never, ever escape. How on Earth did you get down here, anyhoo?"

You point up at the twilight flickering through the glassy barrier.

She nearly tears up. "Oh, for heaven's sake, child! You fell all this way? I'm thankful that your only injuries have been healed, but this is so sad! Even with the strength of your SOUL, I'm not sure if you can ever pass! H-how lamentable… I should escort you to the woman who resides here. She's the caretaker of this area… she should know just what to do."

You felt a light but warm wing wrap around your shoulder as Lyre begins walking forward with you in tow.

" _What is all this about 'souls'?"_ you asked, still skeptical of it. Flowey brought it up first, but then Lyre continued the trend.

"A SOUL is your entire being! It's your personal essence. It's what keeps your mind alive and makes you who you are. With our SOULs destroyed, we monsters simply crumble into dust, but humans have SOULs that linger after death. Their body may be dead, but their spirit is still out there. It can be preserved." answered Lyre. "Even with physical differences aside, that's what differentiates you from me the most! Your SOUL is incredibly strong."

" _Thank… you?"_ you replied gingerly, taking it as a compliment.

"Ohoohoohoo, you're entirely welcome. M-mind not my fear of you… it's simply residue left over from tales of the past. Toriel is far older than me, I trust that she can guide you for now. After all… I've a job and a family! Hotland is next for delivery, and _wow,_ do they get a lot of mail over there. They have some up-and-coming celebrity residing out there who just showed up out of the blue, and now his address has been put on my route. For the love of all that's good, you'd think they'd be on e-mail over there by now!"

As Lyre guided you through the murky darkness, you passed through an opened door with a winged insignia upon it. It leads you into a long corridor filled with the sound of slowly flowing water and an odd breeze. Breeze? Was there weather down here at all? You attempted to remember what you have learned about air currents and whether or not this place could sustain them… but, to no avail.

"I don't know if she's here, but… to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm authorized to pass the mail slot over on the side. Shall we knock?" she asked, looking in your direction.

Your gaze flickered from Lyre to the door, before giving a moderately hard knock on the stone door three times. It… kind of hurt your hand, but the resulting noise echoes fairly loudly. For a few moments, everything is silent. You looked around listlessly as you wait for someone, hopefully his alleged 'Toriel' character, to answer. And sure enough, after a short while…

"Ah? A visitor, at this hour-?!"

The door opened slowly, revealing a large figure dressed in an indigo tunic. She at first seemed to be rather confused by your presence, but the moment she got a better look at your appearance, she seemed very shocked. While she towered over you, she was covered in white hair and had kind-looking mahogany eyes.

"H-hello." you greeted, bowing your head a little. "Um, miss Toriel? I'd like to know if there's anywhere I can stay, please."

The request comes out of its own volition, as you immediately blush sheepishly. You turned around to ask Lyre for guidance, but…

It seemed she was already gone. The mail slot had its flag raised, indicating that she had completed her job. Perhaps she truly was in a rush.

Toriel's mouth is still slightly agape, but she quickly composes herself. "Oh, er… hello! I wasn't expecting a child at this hour. And no less, all alone. Please come inside, will you not?"


End file.
